Our Inalienable Right to Stop Iran’s Nuclear Program

Please bear in mind that Zarif is not talking about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — the “unalienable Rights” set forth in the American Declaration of Independence. He is talking about the ingredients of a nuclear weapons program: uranium, plutonium and ballistic missiles. But he is doing it in language effectively poached from the Declaration of Independence — warping and twisting the concept to apply not to the principles of human freedom, but to provide a propaganda gloss for the nuclear ambitions of the murderous, despotic regime that he serves.

Surely the likes of Zarif, Khazaee and Rouhani — professional mouthpieces of the Iranian regime — know exactly what they are doing, in pounding home this phrase about an “inalienable right.” In America, and among free societies that have looked to America as leader of the free world, it’s a phrase surely calculated to resonate as something that cannot be questioned. Which is what Tehran needs, because as soon as you start asking questions, Tehran’s tall tale of a “peaceful” nuclear program falls apart.

Iran’s talk about its nuclear “right” is agitprop, on a par with the worst of the old Soviet formulations about “peace” and “liberation.” It is also plagiarism of a most mocking kind, insulting to human dignity everywhere, and to America in particular. There are inalienable rights to liberty, not to manufacturing projects that can lead to nuclear weapons in the hands of predatory, malign and murderous regimes.

This is not merely a matter of what might or might not be in technical compliance with the nonproliferation treaty. The basic issue here is the defense of freedom in our time, which depends not least on the honest use of words. It would be a very good thing to hear officials of the U.S. government, all the way up to the president, speaking up loud and clear to explain to the public what’s so profoundly pernicious about these glib Iranian claims that the production of fissile material is an “inalienable right.” America’s diplomats, in their eagerness for a nuclear deal with Iran, have been most unbecomingly deferential to the likes of Rouhani and Zarif. It is high time that America’s authorities exercised their inalienable right to tell these nuclear con men to shut up.

frankly I see no reason why any Islamic nation has any right to exist at all, after you've read their scripture.Islam is in a perpetual state of war, and the only reason that they are not officially, publicly fighting us everywhere is, that their scripture tells them to do it covertly if an official war is a guaranteed loss. I can not understand why we cling to definitions of states and borders and citizenship and 'civilian' when they proclaim every day that they reject each and everyone of our definitions and view us as animals to be slaughtered asap.

nuke them now and be done with it. and anyone who is opposed can donate his wife or daughter to a sharia simulation program.

whatever Iran does, even if it nuked Israel, it would only 'prove' that the government must really crack down on gun owners and pot smokers and has to implement a mandatory 'nuke insurance program' called 'NuCare' which is 30% of your income.

And Ron Paul will still say that Iran has 'done nothing to us', even after it nuked an allied nation.

Good point MarcH -- but you know at this point, all I'd really ask of the "American people" is to elect a president who will simply step out of the way and let Israel do the job.

I'm *extremely* suspicious of Obama and think that not only will he not lift a finger against Iran, but will also attempt to stymie Israel from doing so. In fact, the total secrecy with which he conducted "negotiations" with the Iranians is an example of this (it put Israel into a box).

A different president would have coordinated these steps with Israel. But all I ask for is one who will just step aside.

Read the Qur'an and understand that you are reading the soul of Islam... You are reading that which they believe and live by... This text is not like us reading our Constitution. They really think that the Qur'an is what came from Allah directly to them, even though a lot of the early text has been abrogated by later words... But the later words are the ones to follow....If Iran had the power over us today, we would be at war with the Muslim World.... That is what is directed by the Qur'an.... If you have the power, then now is the time to attack and destroy your enemy. If your enemy is stronger, play the game and grow strength until it is time to attack.. But do not attack until you are sure to win the prize... This is Islam....

Bottle line: The US will not seriously attempt to curtail Iranian nuclear weapons development while Barack Hussain Obama occupies our White House.If Israel acts, they will be on their own. Obama will then condemn it and deny knowing a thing. That's what his left-wing base demands of him. The "Arab Spring" was the start of a Long Winter of Iranian malevolence.

Gee Claudia --- didn't you get the memo? Rouhani is "moderate." I read it in the NYT, so it must be true. And didn't you see how cute that nice Dame Ashton is when she is flirting with that nice Iranian man at the table?

The whole point of the so-called negotiations is to kick the can down the road so that this administration won't have to do anything. They don't want to be blamed for starting "an unnecessary war."

We should bomb their entire soft target energy industry (Pipelines, Refineries, Tank farms, Power plants, etc...) and put the entire nation on foot and in the dark. Without the money from oil sales, and without fuel and power to run their economy, the regime would swiftly fall. Making an example of Iran would force all of America's other enemies to recognize that the same fate could befall them.

frankly I see no reason why any Islamic nation has any right to exist at all, after you've read their scripture.Islam is in a perpetual state of war, and the only reason that they are not officially, publicly fighting us everywhere is, that their scripture tells them to do it covertly if an official war is a guaranteed loss. I can not understand why we cling to definitions of states and borders and citizenship and 'civilian' when they proclaim every day that they reject each and everyone of our definitions and view us as animals to be slaughtered asap.

nuke them now and be done with it. and anyone who is opposed can donate his wife or daughter to a sharia simulation program.

whatever Iran does, even if it nuked Israel, it would only 'prove' that the government must really crack down on gun owners and pot smokers and has to implement a mandatory 'nuke insurance program' called 'NuCare' which is 30% of your income.

And Ron Paul will still say that Iran has 'done nothing to us', even after it nuked an allied nation.

Now here's a war that actually needs fighting. This is the-existence-of-the-free-world stuff here. (1) Go in and foment revolution.(2) Blow things up until you have a new freer government there. It's a Muslim country so it can't be "free" but at least move it along the continuum.

I think our war in Afghanistan is a waste of time. Our war with Iraq has proven to be counterproductive in many ways. But, a war with Iran would actually make the world a better place and prevent nuclear armed Muslim fundamentalists from engaging in mass murder.